*this content originally appeared on Ella In The Big City*
At the risk of sounding like the most boring person alive, I love doing our weekly food shop. We always plan our meals and heading to Morrisons for our weekly meander around the aisles is one of my favourite things to do with Will.
He’s the trolley-pusher, I’m the list holder and item picker. If they had an Olympics for fastest couple to scan and bag, we’d win. However, I love it not simply because of the cracking deals, but because we’ve had some of our best conversations in Morrisons.
Good and bad, those aisles have seen a fair whack of emotions throughout our relationship. We had our first conversation about moving in together near the crisps. The pasta aisle saw me slam some pesto into the trolley and flounce off ahead because Will had to unexpectedly work that night [and I was just being a wee cow tbh]. Don’t worry, we had made up by the time we got to the bread. World Foods saw me have a near-panic attack and shed a few tears over a horrible situation that was happening at the time, and confectionery saw us have a debate about the amount of sugar our future children should have(!) [Editors note - well, the reality of THIS one came round a bit quicker than expected, hey?]
We also talk through our plans for the week, what we’ve got coming up, what’s on our minds and how we feel about things in general.
There might be some science behind this though. According to WalkCoachLearn: "When we sit down we are often face-to-face. This can produce a sense of confrontation – me versus you. When we walk, we are side-by-side. We are moving together facing the problem and working together to find solutions – us versus the problem."
Here’s why I think it works
It’s carved out time
We know, no matter how busy our weeks are, that we’ll have at least one, dedicated hour or so in which we are focused on each other and what we each have to say. When we’re running around like crazy all week, it’s something to look forward to.
It lessens the need for eye contact
It can be hard to look someone in the eye when you’re talking about something difficult. Being side-by-side can make you feel more at ease and less under pressure.
We’re working together
It’s food shopping, not rocket science. But it’s a task we’ve done hundreds of times and it’s like a well-oiled machine. We’re a team in smashing out a weekly shop AND working to understand each other on a deeper level.
No interruptions
Have ye ever tried to push a trolley when on your phone? It doesn’t work very well. For this time, we are focused only on each other and there’s no TV, phones, or other people [bar the general public – JEEZ] to distract us.
Of course, Morrisons isn’t a holy, fluorescent pilgrimage site for deep conversations. Anywhere you can walk and talk will work – the park is a good one. Additionally, you don’t need to be as far down the relationship path as we are. First dates can be awkward AF and the thought of sitting opposite someone might fill you with dread. Instead, walk through Borough Market or along Southbank to ease the pressure.
Seriously though, next time you need to have a difficult chat or just talk freely – take a walk [or get yerself down to Morrisons].
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